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FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR MOVE/DELIVERY
It may seem like a no-brainer, but how prepared you yourself are, greatly affects the time taken to complete your move (and therefore likely the total COST).
If you have done your own packing (or partial packing), it is absolutely imperative that all cartons/boxes are securely TAPED shut, both top and bottom. The reason for this is that they will be not only handled leaving your old residence, but also stacked up in the truck (furniture Tetris), but then also unstacked and placed into your new residence, where they will again be stacked up. That’s a lot of handling, and a folded (or worse, OPEN carton) probably will spill/leak its contents somewhere along this journey!
Have your cartons/boxes clearly LABELLED for which room/area they are to be placed in at destination. This may be a different room/area than they originally came from. Marking what is IN each carton is optional, but may help you identify which cartons to unpack in what order. You may wish to consider colour coded labels (or simply tape different coloured post-it notes) to help identify different rooms/priorities.
WEATHER - yes, you cannot control it, but you can prepare for it, or at the very least, be prepared for its effects. Everyone likes a clear sunny day to move, but let’s face it - odds are against it! If it is raining or snowing, plan on the move taking a little bit longer, and if the weather is really inclement adjust accordingly. As the weather is an unknown quantity and outside everyone’s control, it is an exception to ANY quoted estimate EXCEPT a “Guaranteed Price Estimate” (with some exceptions to THAT noted directly in the estimate). There are some things you can do to minimize weather impact on your move. Ensure that all SNOW, ICE, SLUSH and STANDING WATER are removed from the path of access the movers will use to get to/from your residence to/from the truck. If outdoor furniture is part of your move, try to remove it (or minimize its exposure to) the elements. This is especially true of outdoor plants/planters or patio furniture cushions. We are movers, not mud-pie bakers, and no one really wants to load a wet muddy plant next to your new mattress!! Other things to consider is emptying ballast material from basketball hoop bases, patio umbrella bases etc. While DTL does utilize neoprene floor runners to prevent soiling carpets in your home, during especially wet/snowy weather, having some additional old sheets/towels/drop cloths on standby is never a bad idea, as there is only so much floor area we have protection for!
Disassembly/un-mounting - if you are able to, please have any wall-mounted items removed prior to the move (or plan to do so as we are taking out other items). This includes wall-mounted TV’s, custom valences, curtain rods, shelf units and anything else that is physically attached to a wall/ceiling that you want us to move. In general, we are not allowed to remove anything from your wall/ceiling that is permanently attached (screwed/bolted/glued...), so other than hanging pictures/mirrors which are removed without tools, you are on your own. Items requiring dis-assembly to safely move or get out of their location should also be disassembled ahead of time whenever possible. This includes cribs, bunk beds, mates beds, large wall units, large storage units, modular desks, garden sheds, trampolines, some exercise equipment. Common sense applies here, so try to imagine having to move it, or how the item got to where it is - most things that came in pieces will need to leave in pieces. Some ready-to-assemble furniture, while it CAN physically fit out of the room, may be better off being disassembled, as it may be flimsy/ungainly/unstable in it’s assembled fashion. If in doubt, discuss this ahead of your move with a DTL consultant. On longer distance moves, some types of RTA furniture that could be left together SHOULD be disassembled for safety and space considerations. Again, your DTL consultant can cover these points with you.
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